Todd Blanche has secured the top law enforcement job in the US after a close Senate vote, but his confirmation has raised fresh questions over the future direction of the Justice Department under President Donald Trump.
Todd Blanche, a former personal lawyer to US President Donald Trump, has been confirmed as the US attorney general after a narrow 50-49 vote in the Senate.
The vote ended a lengthy standoff over Blanche, who had been serving as acting attorney general since April after Pam Bondi left the position.
Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voted against him, while Senator Bill Cassidy provided the deciding vote.
Cassidy said he believed Blanche was the best option Trump would put forward.
“All considered, I will vote for Mr Blanche,” Cassidy said.
All Democratic senators voted against the nomination.
Blanche faced resistance from some Republicans over his handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents and his involvement in Trump’s proposed $1.8bn “anti-weaponization” fund.
The fund was intended to compensate people who claimed they had been unfairly targeted by the government. However, critics feared it could benefit people prosecuted over the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
Blanche later agreed to drop the proposal after facing pressure from Republican senators.
Murkowski said she was not confident Blanche would be willing to challenge Trump when necessary. She also raised concerns about the “politicisation” of the Justice Department.
Collins questioned Blanche’s role in Trump’s $10bn dispute with the Internal Revenue Service but said she ultimately trusted him to give the president honest legal advice.
Cassidy, meanwhile, argued that Senate confirmation would give Blanche greater authority to push back when needed.
“Senate confirmation would give Blanche greater leverage to push for things that should be pushed for,” Cassidy said.
Blanche now takes permanent control of the Justice Department at a time when its independence and relationship with the White House are under intense scrutiny.
His appointment also marks an unusual return to the centre of government for a lawyer who previously represented Trump personally.
